the BREAKWATER 
A newsletter from the Prince William Sound Science Center
May 2019
2018 ANNUAL REPORT


Our 2018 annual report is now available! 

What happens here in the world's richest waters influences the globe. We are the region's nonprofit with boots on the ground, boats in the water, and students in the field 12 months per year. In 2018 we worked towards our goals of regional resilience.

You can learn more about what we did in FY'18 to expand that understanding of our home by enjoying our annual report, which is available here.
SEASONAL HERRING SPAWN
Aerial view of herring spawn.  Photo credit: Vanessa Lane-Miller, ADF&G

Herring return earlier and more abundant than expected! 

Researchers in the Herring Research and Monitoring (HRM) program were caught off guard when herring started to spawn about a week earlier than expected in Prince William Sound this spring. In recent years, the first spawning event has occurred around the eighth of April, but this year the Alaska Department of Fish and Game first recorded spawn on March 31 at Knowles Bay from their aerial survey. Why might the spawning biomass be higher than expected this year? Find out in our recent news
TRAVELING ROVs
Students try their hand at cleaning up slipped oil.

PWSSC educators took a trip to Scammon Bay and Hooper Bay to deliver hands-on science education programming focused on oil spills and technology. Despite there being no open water in either village, the education team was determined to bring Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for the students to try their hands at "flying" them. Educators spent two days in each community working with more than 175 students total. On the first day with each group, students rotated through stations that let them see the negative effects oil has on fur and feathers, try their hand at cleaning up spilled "oil" using different materials, and practice flying mini-ROVs in a fish tank. Thankfully they took ROV practice seriously because the second day was an ROV tournament! Inflatable pools, thanks to the amazing host-teachers, were filled and became the site of a "tragic oil spill" (don't worry--it was just ping pong balls). Students paired up and used the mini-ROVs equipped with mini-booms to recover the spilled oil. Teams had one minute to collect as much as possible. Our education team had a blast meeting with these students, getting to know the community, and experiencing some things for the very first time. There are definitely some future career-ROV operators in these communities!
SIXTH GRADE MOCK OIL SPILL
A couple sixth grade students observe their mock oil spill.
The sixth grade at Mt. Eccles Elementary started their Oil Spill Unit last week with a "Mock Oil Spill." In this incredibly hands-on, and messy, experiment students learned about the Exxon Valdez oil spill and explored what oil does to fur and feathers, how oil and water mix, and learned just how hard it is to clean up spilled oil. Students spilled "crude oil" into small Tupperware pans and observed how the oil spread throughout "the sound." Then some unfortunate "otters" and "sea birds" turned up in the area. We learned quickly that oiled feathers and fur cannot keep the animals warm. Then the sixth graders were called to help respond! Given an array of cleanup materials (toothbrushes, pipe-cleaners, cotton balls, sponges, pipettes, sorbent pads, paper towels, Q-tips, and more) they made predictions about which material would clean up the spill most efficiently.
PS This is not REAL crude oil, but our kitchen-mixture is a secret ;) 

TUESDAY NIGHT TALK 
Little Brown Bat. Photo credit: ADF&G

Save the date! 
May 14th at 7:00 p.m. 
Cordova Forest Service building, third floor

Join us in for our final Tuesday Night Talk of the season!

Bats in Southeast: Citizen Scientists Help Biologists Study Cryptic Species" 
by Tory Rhoads
30th ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION
Katrina Hoffman on the dock of the PWSSC. Photo credit: Cordova Chamber of Commerce

"We wouldn't be where we are today without everyone who's made a contribution over the years." 
     - Katrina Hoffman 

We want to thank everyone who joined us at our thirtieth anniversary reception in Cordova. Friends old and new enjoyed sunshine on the deck and delicious cake! Our ocean touch tank and ROV simulator were a hit (as always) with the little ones. 
The Science Center is committed to understanding how one place on earth can maintain a reliable economy and natural environment for the long term. 
 
We invite you-- donors, researchers, partners, funders, elected officials, citizens--to join us in better understanding one of the world's last, great natural regions, home of the world's richest waters.

Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List